Geometry Chart

Believe it or not, you can still score some Ciocc "Pokerface" quality racing Chromoly and get some massive handmade Italian road bike heritage to go along with it. Beautiful to look at, and amazing to ride, The Ciocc San Cristobal Frameset is made from Columbus double butted drawn tubing, with micro fused brazing, Silva rear dropouts and investment cast lugs. Each is built with care and comes complete with a Columbus hand crafted fork--and of course, each one is a work of art handmade in Italy and is not just a bike, but a rider's dream and a collector's pride.

Columbus double butted Chromoly tubing is argued by many to be the best ride in road cycling

Nashbar failed to mention that the headtube, bottom bracket and fork were not prepped. Had to send the frame to a pro-shop to get that work done. Nashbar should have done the prep work before shipping. Just thought Nashbar would like to know.

I wanted to move up to 11 speed with a compact crankset because the hills are getting too steep for my 65 year old legs. So rather than upgrade my 9 speed Pinarello Prince to 11 speed, I decided to build a new bike, and to go back to steel with a modern steel frame, one that would hopefully be as comfortable to ride as my old GIOS Torino Professional.I thought long and hard about a Colnago Master, but I couldn't justify the price, so when I saw the CIOCC San Cristobal on Nashbar at the price they were offering, and on a day when they were offering an additional 20% off, I just had to have it.It arrived promptly, very well packaged in a big box, the frame and fork wrapped in bubble wrap and corrugated paper.It was in perfect condition, not a scratch on it. I've been dealing with Nashbar for many years and Nashbar always packages their shipments extremely well.The paint and lug work are amazing, this is a beautifully made and finished frame. The Niobium SL tube set is the latest from Columbus, and the chrome Columbus fork with CIOCC engraved sloping fork crown is stunning.One owner on Nashbar commented about this frame that it was difficult to get a headset that fit the threaded steerer.I used a Campagnolo C Record headset that I bought 30 years ago and never had a chance to install on a bike.It went right on without a problem, so if you want a good headset, some sites are still selling 1 inch Campagnolo Record threaded headsets that I am sure will fit the CIOCC threaded steerer without a problem.I don't have a headset press so I got my LBS to install the headset and cut the steerer to the correct length.I built the bike up with the latest 4 pin Campagnolo Record mechanical groupset, Campagnolo Shamal Ultra wheels, Cinelli 1A quill stem, Nitto Noodle bars, Nitto S83 aluminum seatpost, and a Fi'zi:k Arione saddle. Unfortunately Nashbar doesn't carry most of this stuff so I had to get it elsewhere.It is the perfect modern steel replacement for my GIOS.If you like steel and want a gorgeous bike, I highly recommend this frame, but give it what it deserves and build it with the best components, you won't regret it.

Look, I haven't even built it up, and there is several feet on snow on the ground. But as a four-decade fan of Italian steel racing bikes, I can tell that this is a keeper. Exquisite lugwork and chrome. Paint that is precisely executed, and looks to be loads better than the horrid (but pretty) factory spray on my early '90s Colnago. Buy one, build with alloy Campy kit, add silk tubular tires. You will never regret it!

Fantastic-looking bike at a great price. I suppose many 'vintage' bike folks would scoff at this, but I am building mine up with brand new 11-speed Campy Chorus/HED wheels which should bring the weight down to a competitive level and eliminate the inconvenience of original (i.e. 1970s-era) equipment--dodgy friction shifters, weak brakes, difficult adjustment, etc. The Campy still retains a conventional look, too, despite the carbon crank arms/spider. I would not recommend 11-speed Shimano, with its goofy spaceship look. I cannot do without the shiny chrome OE fork, though, which demands a threaded headset. I wanted the best, so I went with a Chris King. It would not thread on, unfortunately. I went round and round to LBS, tons of 'sites, etc., trying to navigate the bewildering of various headset thread types. Nashbar support was the most helpful, actually, suggesting to me that ISO/English (i.e. 'standard') should work, even if this fork is threaded 'Italian'--but not the Chris King, I was told. CK machining may be too precise. So I have three other brands coming to me. Hopefully one will work. In short, more of a pain that I would have liked. I think it'll be worth it, once this thing is out on its first ride. It's true what they say about higher-quality steel. I have owned/ridden every material there is. The ride of steel is unbelievable--springy, like you have a little motor underneath you. But compliant, too. Coupled with the understated, classy looks of this thing (the pic doesn't do it justice--the white bands are actually a cool cream color--how can you go wrong?

I use to race in the 80's and rode a Ciocc SLX. I loved the ride of that bike I wouldn't consider anything elst. But years of living on the coast eventually got to that frame, all the chrome got severly pitted with rust spots.

So when I had to get a new frame I found Ciocc was building Classic frames out of the new Columbus tubing, and the San Cristobal was almost an exact copy of my SLX, I had to get one.

I thought my SLX rode well, the San Cristobal is better in almost every way. While the basic ride is a bit harsher, you can feel every pebble or paint stripe in the road, when you his something big you hear the 'thunk' but feel almost nothing, it absorbs big hits like they aren't there. The thing that is way better than my old SLX is the climbing. The new Columbus tubing makes this frame about 1/2 a pound lighter than my old Ciocc, just over 4 pounds for the frame, less than 1 1/2 for the fork, so just about 5 1/2 total. And the new tubes make it stiffer in all the right ways for climbing, I have yet to find a rider on a Carbon Fiber that can out-climb me! They will pass me on the flats but when a climb comes I'll catch up and take them! I still ride at racing speeds and this frame rides so well I, once again, have no reason to ride anything else! I cannot believe Nashbar is offering a frame of this quality!